NEW NOS TEXT FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS
We now have a textbook for students on the nature of science. It's intended to replace, or supplement, the inadequate first chapter of your text. It's designed to coordinate and help sequence several of the nature of science (NOS) lessons on the ENSI site. It is targeted to students in any science class, grades 7-10 (or beyond). It helps to satisfy virtually all the new NOS standards in NGSS and Common Core. If you've used any of ENSI's NOS lessons, you already know how powerful they are. This new book addresses most of the common misconceptions about NOS. It also provides information about the differences between good science, poor science, and pseudoscience. It offers clues for recognizing those differences, and opportunities to practice using those clues. "What's this magic book I've been waiting for all my life?" It's called Science Surprises: Exploring the Nature of Science. "Tell me more - like where can I see this book?" Say no more. It's available as an eBook, published with Smashwords. Click Here to get more information and a link to sample (and purchase) the new eBook Science Surprises.

SYNOPSIS

This lesson is built around the poem by
John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887): "The Blind Men and the Elephant".
Through small group activity and class discussions, the limiting
influence of incomplete data and bias, along with the value of
collaboration, are experienced.

TEACHING STRATEGY

Because this lesson provides an excellent opportunity
to understand important elements of the Nature of Science
, be sure to read our General
Background Information, with our Rationale and our Approach,
and tips for Presenting the lessons for maximum effect and Dispelling
some of the popular myths about science.

In any of the discussions expected with the class, select a few key items (important concepts) that lend themselves to interpretation, and introduce class to the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) routine dealing with those items. This is how "Active Learning" is done.

1. This activity might be a useful introductory activity before
the "mystery boxes" lesson.

2. Cut apart the Modified Poem, so that there will be a different
6-line stamza for each team (numbered 1 through 6).

PROCEDURES

CURRENTLY BEING
REVISED

1. Divide class into 6 groups of approximately equal
numbers.

2. Initiate a short discussion with students about the differences
between observations and interpretations in general. Teacher
elicits and records student responses on board or overhead projector.
Offer a few examples of each to check class' understanding.

3. Read the first part of the poem (first 6 lines) to the
class. Explain that you will be handing out a different part of
the poem to each team. One person in each team is to read its
part to the team, and the team decides what animal is being described
by that part. Hand out the poem parts, one part per team, randomly.

4. Prepare two columns on board or overhead, headed: "OBSERVATION"
and "INTERPRETATION", respectively. After each section
is read (next step), ask students to indicate the observation
and interpretation(s), and you can list those in the appropriate
columns.

5. After a few minutes, all teams should have reached a decision.
Ask for each team to select a team reader, who is to read that
team's selection aloud to the class. Begin the readings by [the
teacher] re-reading the first 6 lines, then team 1, 2, etc.,
and the teacher reads the last 6 lines. For each selection, record
the observation and interpretation, as indicated by class.

6. Ask students to suggest the identity of the animal by analyzing
all the data.

7. This was a way of knowing through observation (touching). What are some other ways of knowing? [Possible Responses: logic, philosophy, religion, politics, experience, science (tested observations)].

===================

OPTIONAL:
8. Hand out the complete (original) poem (one per team, to
share), and have them read it aloud in their respective groups.
Note that the capitalized words were the ones replaced with "animal"
or less obvious clue words in the working (modified) poem.

9. Initiate discussion with the whole class:

a. What has this poem to do with "science"?

STUDENT RESPONSE (desired!): "Scientists can't always
see every aspect of a problem"; "Scientific explanations
can be influenced (biased) by prevailing climate (culture, politics,
experiences, etc.)"; "Most science is done by teams";
"Scientists can reach different interpretations for the
same observations."

b. How would the observations of six blind scientists change
the poem?

STUDENT RESPONSE: "There would be mention of measurements,
recording of observations, use of other senses, and collaboration
or sharing of data."

c. How could the observations of six people who happen to be
blind be more valuable than the observations of just one person?

STUDENT RESPONSE: "This would bring out a greater richness
of details and interpretations which would enhance the final
conclusion."

d. What are some other possible interpretations for the observations
made? (Ask students to close their eyes, and imagine all the
things a particular observation could indicate; here's a chance
for creative imagination to work, showing how scientists need
to look at as many alternatives as they can, because the obvious
solution may not be the real one.)

STUDENT RESPONSE: "The broad and sturdy side might be
a heavy carpet hanging on a line, the tooth might be a horn,
the squirming nose could be a thick tail, the knee might be a
rump, the ear...a frilly decoration, and the tail could be a
skinny neck or leg.

e. How might the background, culture, or experience influence
one's interpretation of these observations? (give examples).

STUDENT RESPONSE: "If an observer had never seen an elephant,
or had only seen animals native to Australia (e.g. confusing
the trunk for a tail, like the thick tail of a kangaroo)..."

ASSESSMENT

1. Students in groups re-write the poem describing a
different animal. Exchange with other groups and see it they
can guess the creature.

2. Each student is observed in a subsequent lesson (e.g. the
Mystery Boxes lesson)
to see if they demonstrate an understanding of observations,
interpretations, bias, and the value of collaboration.

3. Ask students to write a paragraph answering the question
"How could the observations of six people who happen to
be blind be more valuable than the observations of just one person?"

EXTENSIONS

& VARIATIONS

1. Provide each student (or pair of students) with a
copy of the original complete poem, and a worksheet with the
following questions:

a. What does this poem have to do with science?

b. Why did each man observe the same animal but "see"
it differently? (Also, see item "f" below).

c. Is there a problem with having different ideas about the
same object at the same time?

d. Although you "know" what an elephant is, attempt
to DRAW one (do your very best) using the descriptions provided
by the six Indostans.

e. Describe how a scientist would observe an elephant.

f. How do your ideas compare with another classmate? Working
with a classmate, compare your list of reasons (to item "b"),
and together, generate a list of reasons that might explain why
these human activities have been divided into two groups (observation,
and interpretation).

When this assignment is completed by most of the class, discuss
their answers with the class.

2. Have students collaborate in small groups and present their
ideas by summarizing on one sheet of paper per group.

3. Have students make concept maps of the major ideas (individually,
or in small groups).

OTHER RESOURCES

2. To see the complete poem (including the omitted last stanza),
search on-line with Yahoo
or other search engine, searching for the author's name (John
Godfrey Saxe).

ATTRIBUTIONS

Some of the ideas in this lesson may have been adapted from
earlier, unacknowledged sources without our knowledge. If the
reader believes this to be the case, please let us know, and
appropriate corrections will be made. Thanks.

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

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